When performing business processing employing a computer, data to be employed is stored on a storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD), and then employed. Virus countermeasure processing is executed on the storage device in order to suppress occurrences of damage to business processing. Virus detection software installed on the computer is generally employed in virus countermeasure processing on the storage device of the computer. The virus detection software uses hardware resources of the computer, for example, a CPU and memory, and detects viruses stored on the storage device.
When computer hardware resources, such as a CPU and memory, are used to execute virus countermeasure processing, the hardware resources of the computer are occupied by processing other than business processing. Consequently, executing virus countermeasure processing in addition to business processing sometimes causes access to storage devices other than for business processing to occur, exerting a load on the computer, and slowing down business processing.
Technology is known in which the virus countermeasure processing is executed using a CPU and memory independent from the computer subject to virus countermeasure processing, in order to reduce load on the computer while executing the virus countermeasure processing. For example, technology is known in which a device for virus countermeasure processing provided with a CPU and memory, separate from the hardware resources of a computer, is connected as a relay to a storage device. Technology is also known relating to a storage device that includes a CPU, memory, a file distribution manager, and the like for virus countermeasure processing, separate from the hardware resources of the computer. Technology is also known in which, for a storage device containing a normal and an ancillary-volume, the normal volume is separated from the ancillary-volume, and virus countermeasure processing is executed on the disconnected ancillary-volume.